Familiy Ties
by J.a.Sortero
Summary: One man's desire to join the order of the gash leades consequences for him and the unearthing of an ancient war going back to the creation of the first configuration


The story of Hellraiser is not my property and belongs solely to the author Clive barker. This is a work of fiction of my own characters and a few from the Hellraiser story. I hope you enjoy and if you do than I will post more.

Family Ties

By J.A. Sortero

His hands caressed the box as one would a lover. Joel sat in the cab eager to get on the plane back home; he had travelled half way across the world in order to obtain this treasure that he had lusted for over the course of years when he had first heard of fits existence. His was still in shock that the box had cost him next to nothing just a plane ticket and a shot of vodka. He smiled to himself wondering of the pleasures he would unlock once he began solving its mysteries, he had grown bored with the simple offerings this world had to give. He needed more. He remembered when he first began looking for the box 4 years ago oh how different he was back then. He also thought about the other things he had to do to obtain the box, while it may not have cost him money for his prize it may as well have cost him his humanity. Joel leaned back and got comfortable it was a ways from the airport to his destinationthe vibration of the car was soothing, soon he nodded off…

(Flashback)

_Joel is speaking with an older gentleman in a study they are both enjoying cigars over drinks, the man is an expert in exotic trinkets and other devices that would be better left untouched by man's hands. _

"Yes the lemarchand box, The Lament Configuration a dangerous artifact indeed. While it is in my possession sir I believe that that's where it will have to remain the box is much too dangerous to be handled by our hands. It is a key to doorways that are better left unopened." Desperate Joel made an offer. "I'll give you fifteen thousand dollars for it I must have it" insult written on the face of the artificer. "Even if money were an issue here sir fifteen thousand would hardly be an asking price i am sorry but it's just not for sale". A look of disappointment than anger "Joel stood up raising his voice, "I must have it you will give it to me!" having had enough the dealer stood "Please leave my office and good day to you sir!" Joel angered and began walking away the dealer stood at the doorway holding it open for him to exit Joel exited and felt the slam on the door, he leaned back against.

He heard them again the voices as he always head ever since he was younger and felt disappointment then too, telling him what he must do. He must get it all cost he felt the whisper in his ear as if someone were leaning on his shoulder speaking directly into his ear telling him urging him to get what he came for not matter what the cost. The dealer was inside opening a safe, the contents revealed itself to be the box. Lemarchands box, The Merchant, the lament configuration. Long had he safeguarded it all these years, he was a young man when he first joined the order first heard the call of the box and was saved by the order before he too could succumb to its call and open the doorway. Even now he felt its call, being so close to it he could feel the urge, the hunger…but he had grown strong and was able to resist the call. He's never been a fighter within the order just a caretaker, had he been one though he surely would have heard the man open the door, picking up the ceramic ash tray or the cutting of the air as it was swung down…..

"We're here sir!" Joel woke up with a start. He slept through the whole ride he handed the cabbie his money and stepped out of the car. The house looked quiet almost welcoming, he quickly proceeded inside.

Day 1: Joel was excited to begin but preparations needed to be made.

He had set aside a room for his dark ritual, top floor in the attic the one place away from anyone that may visit it would be where he would solve the puzzle. A holy room, he saw it to be his sanctuary, his church.

Day 3: he had everything in place everything the man told him to set had been prepared the room had been darkened windows painted black the room had been emptied save for a small table that held a few flowers and a pitcher of water, beside it a bedroll a flat pillow next to it an empty jug.

He paced back and forth running his fingers down the decaying wall; he scanned the room and came to a stop on an outstanding black spot on the floor. He loomed closer and ran his hand across it, he remembered that day vividly it was a few months after he began his search for the box he had been in the in the Philippines searching for answers when he received word that his mother had passed away. He immediately flew back and attended the funeral the whole struggling to control his urge to find it. A few days later his brother had called him to help with cleaning up the house they started top down beginning with the attic.

(Flashback)

_Joel and his brother are cleaning up the attic of their family house shifting boxes and packing things away Robert is going through a box and finds some old family photos of his siblings and himself sitting with their mother on the couch, happier times._

"I think i am going to put the house on the market, none of us stay here and the upkeep would be too much" said Robert while trying to hide tears. This was unacceptable Joel would have none of this he needed this place it would serve his purpose once he obtained his prize. It was the first time the voices came faint at first...

"_He's trying to keep you from your prize"_

"_He will betray you..."_

"_Murder…"_

"_Kill…"_

The voices became louder in Joel's head he needed them to stop but he also needed his brother to not sell the house he did the only thing that came to mind in a panic. "I know it will be hard getting rid of the house but I think it will be for the best Joel". His reason fell on deaf ears Joel was no longer himself it was as if a dark shroud fell over him before Robert could relinquish his next sentence Joel smashed his face against the wall grabbing him from behind and throwing him on the ground. "Joel what is this, what are you doing?" Fear welled up in Roberts's heart it was if hi brother were someone else entirely he grabbed the frame with the picture of his siblings and mother and slammed it against his brother's face. Robert bleeding profusely tried to crawl away. Joel climbed on top of him and grabbing a handful of hair and began to repeatedly smash Roberts's faces into the wooden floor. Tears falling from his face mixing with the blood of his brother on the floor….

Day 7: The flowers were wilting the pitcher of water half empty, and the jug next to the bedroll had begun to fill, Joel had not eaten in 4 days, he did not notice, all that mattered was the box. He had not come down since he first set foot in the room. Still no progress though, it had to be him, what was he doing wrong?

Day 12: The room stunk of human wasted and body odor what began as minutes led into hours which blurred to days finally descending into weeks, Joel barely noticed.

He ran his thumbs simultaneously over the front of the box and felt a hum inside "Finally…" he thought to himself, a top layer of the box rose and spun lowering itself into a new position. Joel heard bells ringing in the background very faint but definitely within the room he was in, he was close. He worked the new configuration sliding his index fingers in a circular motion the box began to grow warm and twisted itself once more, the bells grew louder. The box slipped from his hand the ringing was becoming unbearable then the candles went out leaving him in complete darkness, only momentarily. The smell of vanilla filled the room, light began flashing from the side of the wall he was staring at, what was once solid wood broke way into a corridor of the unknown and they came.

Two figures emerged from the hole in the wall each one more grotesque then the one before, what stood before him was for beings whose bodies had been heavily scarred and looked to be self-inflicted. A closer look would mark that some of these wounds were inflicted in a way that they would never fully heal, Joel feeling the fear rise inside fought to keep the vomit down. "Who…. What are you?" The one closest to him spoke, "we are of the order of the gash, seekers of the pleasure of flesh." It was a woman or rather used to be "Yes pleasure I want pleasure I feel nothing in this world anymore." Joel remarked. "You have summoned us, what is it that you desire?" spoke the female. Her voice was breathy deep and dark, her skin on her head slit down the middle just above the eyes and stretched and sewn to her shoulders. Joel composed himself slightly remembering that this was his choice and he was aware of the dangers that lied in opening the box by others he had contacted about its whereabouts. "I wish pleasure and knowledge I want to know what you know, there is nothing left that this world had to offer me."

"I want more." Was Joel's reply he wanted to feel it everything. The one next to female raised a hand, his face a mosaic of pain almost impossible to gaze upon. His face was gridded all around his skull and at each intersection laid a diamond tipped pin driven to the skull most likely. His skin as pale as milk with a blue tinge, pieces of flesh on either side of his chest piled down and sewn into his leather top blood dried blood on the edges. "Are you prepared to be shown the way?" spoke the male. "Yes, show me all there is to know of the world and the one beyond" Joel was ready to be taking to enlightenment, ready to join their ranks he would finally know more. "Then let us begin" The pin headed cenobite walked closer to Joel until he was face to face with him he sniffed at Joel than placed his index and middle finger on Joel's forehead.

Then it all came at once everything he had done up to this point flashed in his head at the same time. Age 10 masturbating in his sisters closet as she had sex with her boyfriend 10 years later sniffing coke off the thigh of a prostitute followed by oral sex, killing his older brother in this very room years ago in order to have a safe place to stay now that no one could contest the house of his late mother. All this and more played out in his head simultaneously as if laying down a thousand pieces of tracing paper each with its own drawing on top of each other. Joel dropped to his knees in the shame of having everything revealed to him at once and began to tear. "No more….please no more" cried Joel. The cenobite spoke in an ethereal tone. "No more Joel, you are right no more. You are not worthy to join our ranks the engineer will not see you." Grateful to have the mind flaying ordeal over with he stood shaking "please just leave then". "Oh no", spoke the female cenobite "you opened the box and we came. We must take you back with us; we have such sights to show you in the ways of the flesh".

The pinheaded cenobite raised a hand and a hooked chain flew from the dark and latched onto Joel's hand followed by another on his chest dragging him towards the hole in the wall. "Wait!" cried Joel "don't take me I can offer you one who is worthy of you" take them in place of me ". "That it not the way things are done!" shouted the lead cenobite. "You opened up the box we must take you back with us!" with that dozens of chains shot out from all sides of the rooms linking themselves to Joel. "You heart was blackened before you sought us out" exclaimed the female cenobite. Joel was hooked from head to toe he could not move and felt only the desire for his life to end. "Oh no, you will not die today or tomorrow in fact…. We have such sights to show you". Some of the chains were released while the rest dragged Joel into the hole in the wall he did not even have the strength to scream at the moment if he had someone might have heard little good it would have done. The cenobites one by one walked back through the gateway and the hole closed behind them. The fluorescent light was gone and natural light peeked its way through scrapes in the paint on the windows the besides the mess that Joel had left in the room prior the only thing left remaining was the box, A key to a door better left unopened.

**6 Months later**

The door was stuck. "I know this is the key it's probably just stuck from not being used for so long. Give me a hand will you Steve?" Emily stepped aside as Steven grabbed hold of the knob and key with a little effort about a minute or so the door was open. "There we go; whoa it's a little ripe in here. How long has it been since someone has been in here?" Not a soul since my mother's funeral 7 years ago I guess that enough time for a house to gain a smell" mused Emily. The house did have an odor to it despite being in almost pristine condition all the furniture was still how she remembered it to be. "And what about your siblings don't they have any say in that gets the house?" "Well my older brother never showed an interest in the house, he was actually for selling the place. Said it brought too many painful memories to the surface"

Steven and Emily surveyed the house choosing which room would be what. "I've always wanted a study maybe this could be the one?" Steven walked through the hallway and bumped his head on a string dangling from the ceiling. Emily check this out, an attic, I think I found the real area for my study." He pulled the string down and let the stairs out. "Oh my God It stinks up here. " The room was completely bare save for a table with a broken jug resting on it, a moldy bedroll with another pitcher laying over it they both reeked of urine. "Fucking squatters, this room is going to need major cleaning" Steven began walking down the stairs when a glimmer caught his eye "and what might you be?" Reaching forward he grabbed at the object, it was heavier than he thought it would be and warm to the touch. He climbed down the steppes he would begin working on the room soon.

"Hey Emily l found something kind of weird in your attic, come take a look." Emily was in the kitchen warming up some coffee. "It's probably just one of my brother's toys."

Hope you enjoyed, will add more soon


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